Pregnant Women in Ghana take Bleaching Pills to lighten Skin of their Babies

BBC

Women in Ghana have been taking bleaching pills in a bid to lighten the skin of their unborn children.

According to reports from BBC the women have been warned against the growing trend because the illegal drugs can cause birth defects, including damage to limbs and internal organs.

This is coming just a few weeks after Ghana was in the headlines for disqualifying candidates for jobs in the immigration service if they bleached skin or stretch marks.

BBC also reports that the pills are often smuggled into the country inside luggage at airports in large quantities and that security agencies and police are working together to arrest and prosecute companies and individuals in possession of the illegal tablets.